Tuesday, January 8, 2019

The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world's most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That's a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can't pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder to cover the tab.

That's when they call me. My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I'm a Cleaner: a freelance mage with an art history degree who's employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It's not a pretty job, or a safe one - there's a reason I wear bite-proof gloves - but when you're deep in debt in a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, you don't get to be picky about where your money comes from. You just have to make it work, even when the only thing of value in your latest repossessed apartment is the dead body of the mage who used to live there.

It was a long wait, but Audible has finally released the audio version of MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC and it is awesome! You can get it on Amazon or direct from Audible.com!

To all my audio fans, thank you for your patience, and for my Vikas Adams diehards, don't fear: Vikas knows Emily and texted me to let me know how excited he was that she was my narrator! I was really picky about who got to read because Vikas was so perfect, but I think Emily did a great job. Give it a listen and I think you'll agree!

Thank you as always for reading and listening! If you haven't already, I hope you'll come back to the DFZ and give MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC a try!

Yours always,

Rachel Aaron

Queen of the Terrible Fictional Parents Dragon Family Drama Enthusiast

MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC is the first in a new series set in the same universe as my Heartstrikers books, but you don’t need to read those stories to enjoy this one. The book was written to stand by itself, but if you would like to start from the official beginning, check out NICE DRAGONS FINISH LAST. I promise you won't be sorry!

The DFZ, the metropolis formerly known as Detroit, is the world's most magical city with a population of nine million and zero public safety laws. That's a lot of mages, cybernetically enhanced chrome heads, and mythical beasties who die, get into debt, and otherwise fail to pay their rent. When they can't pay their bills, their stuff gets sold to the highest bidder to cover the tab.

That's when they call me. My name is Opal Yong-ae, and I'm a Cleaner: a freelance mage with an art history degree who's employed by the DFZ to sort through the mountains of magical junk people leave behind. It's not a pretty job, or a safe one--there's a reason I wear bite-proof gloves--but when you're deep in debt in a city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, you don't get to be picky about where your money comes from. You just have to make it work, even when the only thing of value in your latest repossessed apartment is the dead body of the mage who used to live there.

I very much hope you'll grab yourself a copy or try it out for free on Kindle Unlimited. Thank you so much to everyone who preordered! I hope you're already enjoying the story!

For those of you who prefer to listen or hold the book in your hands, the audio and print editions are on their way. I'll be sure to let you all know as soon as they're available. And for those of you who are nervous about starting a new series, I'm writing book 2 right now. It should be out early next year, so don't worry. I'm not going to leave you stranded.

That's it! Thank you so much as always for being my readers and subscribing to my list. You are the literal best and I love you all to pieces. I hope you enjoy Opal's story!

Thursday, October 18, 2018

The book I've been teasing for a year is finally done. For the first time ever, I have written two series in the same world!!

GASP!

If you're familiar with my other books, you'll know this is a big thing for me. I generally never go back to a world once a series is over. But even though Julius's story is done, there was so much more I wanted to do with the world of the DFZ. Enter MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC!

Making a living is hard. In a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, it can feel downright impossible.

Good thing freelance mage Opal Yong-ae has never let little things like impossibility stop her. She’s found a way to put her overpriced magical art history degree to use as a Cleaner: a contract municipal employee who empties out abandoned apartments and resells the unusual treasures she finds inside for a profit. It’s not a pretty job, or a safe one--there’s a reason she wears bite-proof gloves--but when you’re neck-deep in debt to a very magical, very nasty individual, you can’t be picky about where the money comes from.

But even Opal’s low standards are put to the test when the only thing of value in her latest apartment is the body of the previous tenant. Dealing with the dead isn’t technically part of her job, but this mage died hiding a secret that could be worth a lot of money, and Opal’s the only one who knows. With debts she can’t pay due at the end of the week, this could be the big break she’s been waiting for, but in a city of runaway magic where getting in over your head generally means losing it, the cost of chasing this opportunity might be more than Opal can survive.

If you follow me on Twitter, you might remember my struggle to name a certain book.

Help me, internet! I'm having a horrible time picking the title for my new book. Knowing nothing else other than it's urban fantasy, which title sounds the coolest?

Well, it was this one, and I think the results speak for themselves. Thank you all so much for your input! I would have really screwed this up if not for y'all!

MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC is the first book in a new, stand alone series set in the DFZ twenty years after the events of LAST DRAGON STANDING. It's an all story with an all new cast, plus some cameos from characters we already know and love ;).

But while we are back in the world of the DFZ, you don't have to have read any of the Heartstriker books to read this one. There's no spoilers, no required knowledge. We're just having fun in a ridiculously dangerous and bizarre magical city with new mages, new magical critters, new problems, and--of course--new dragons!

If you liked my Heartstrikers books, you're going to love MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC! It's up for preorder now with an official release date of November 9. There will also be an audio book coming soon, but Audible hasn't told me who's narrating it yet. I'll let you know as soon as I find out!

In the meanwhile, I hope you'll pre-order the ebook. It's just $4.99, as always, and I hope that you love it.

Thank you as always for being my readers! You guys make all of this possible.

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

If you live in America (or anywhere that pays attention to American politics), you know the news cycle has been SUPER stressful and upsetting lately. I know I've been pissed off every minute of every day, so I thought why not inject some more positivity into the world? We need some nice dragons, dammit! So here you go:

That's right, for $2 you can give yourself (or foist on a friend) the gift of dragons! I think we all need a place where decency wins and bad guys get eaten right now, so if you've been waiting for an excuse to try my Heartstrikers series, this is it! Come give Julius a shot, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Wednesday, August 8, 2018

And by everywhere, I mean everywhere. This is the biggest launch I've ever had in terms of availability. You can find the print edition (which is super nice with maps and everything by the way) in all major bookstores AND big chain retailers like WalMart and Target. I've never been in the big stores before!!

I've never regretted going indie, but it is really fun to have a book in the bookstores again, especially for a big launch like this. If you see it on a big display, would you take a picture and link it to me on Twitter and/or Facebook? I'd REALLY love to see how bookstores set it up!

I know Attack on Titan isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you see this book, I hope you'll pick it up and give it a try. I'm a bit biased, admittedly, but I think it's really fun! I wrote it for everyone, so you don't have to be a fan of the series to enjoy it.

Thank you as always for being my readers! We've got more releases coming this year, including FFO 2 and hopefully a new book from me. You're the first ones I'm telling about it, but I'm writing a new series set in the DFZ! I'm editing the first draft of the first book now, and I think you're going to loooooove it! It's kind of a mix of my Paradox books and Heartstrikers that focuses on the cyberpunk/magical nature of the new DFZ. I've had an absolute blast writing it, and I hope you'll give it a try when it comes out (whenever that is, no release date yet, but soon!)

That's it for the news. Thank you for reading this far and for being my readers in general! You all are the best fans ever. Thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to read my stuff!

Friday, June 1, 2018

A thrilling new novel for fans of SWORD ART ONLINE and WORLD OF WARCRAFT!

In the real world, twenty-one-year-old library sciences student Tina Anderson is invisible and under-appreciated, but in the VR-game Forever Fantasy Online she's Roxxy—the respected leader and main tank of a top-tier raiding guild. Her brother, James Anderson, has a similar problem. IRL he’s a college drop-out struggling under debt, but in FFO he's famous—an explorer known all over the world for doing every quest and collecting the rarest items.

Both Tina and James need the game more than they’re willing to admit, but their escape turns into a trap when FFO becomes real. Suddenly, wounds aren’t virtual, the stupid monsters have turned cunning, and death might be forever. Separated across a much larger and more deadly world, their skill at FFO is the only thing keeping them alive. But as the harshness of their new reality sets in, Tina and James soon realize that being the best in the game is no longer good enough.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

I know, I know, it took forever, but paperback editions of the fifth and final Heartstrikers novel, LAST DRAGON STANDING, are now available on Amazon.com!

Now you can get your very own physical copy of Bob! (fire not included)

I am so so sorry about the delay. Trust me, I was as frustrated as you were about how long this took, but we had some problems with the printer and I wasn't about to ship you sub-standard books! Now, though, the wait is over, and your bookshelf can finally be complete with a full set of delightful (and terrifying) dragons! Enjoy!

Bonus! Read a sample of my newest novel, FOREVER FANTASY ONLINE!

A thrilling new novel for fans of SWORD ART ONLINE and WORLD OF WARCRAFT!

In the real world, twenty-one-year-old library sciences student Tina Anderson is invisible and under-appreciated, but in the VR-game Forever Fantasy Online she's Roxxy—the respected leader and main tank of a top-tier raiding guild. Her brother, James Anderson, has a similar problem. IRL he’s a college drop-out struggling under debt, but in FFO he's famous—an explorer known all over the world for doing every quest and collecting the rarest items.

Both Tina and James need the game more than they’re willing to admit, but their escape turns into a trap when FFO becomes real. Suddenly, wounds aren’t virtual, the stupid monsters have turned cunning, and death might be forever. Separated across a much larger and more deadly world, their skill at FFO is the only thing keeping them alive. But as the harshness of their new reality sets in, Tina and James soon realize that being the best in the game is no longer good enough.

Thursday, May 24, 2018

A thrilling new series for fans of Sword Art Online and World of Warcraft!

In the real world, twenty-one-year-old library sciences student Tina Anderson is invisible and under-appreciated, but in the VR-game Forever Fantasy Online she's Roxxy—the respected leader and main tank of a top-tier raiding guild. Her brother, James Anderson, has a similar problem. IRL he’s a college drop-out struggling under debt, but in FFO he's famous—an explorer known all over the world for doing every quest and collecting the rarest items.

Both Tina and James need the game more than they’re willing to admit, but their escape turns into a trap when FFO becomes real. Suddenly, wounds aren’t virtual, the stupid monsters have turned cunning, and death might be forever. Separated across a much larger and more deadly world, their skill at FFO is the only thing keeping them alive. But as the harshness of their new reality sets in, Tina and James soon realize that being the best in the game is no longer good enough.

If you follow my Twitter, you know I'm a giant anime fan and MMO nerd, so really, this novel was only a matter of time. But what you might not know is that my husband, Travis Bach, has been helping me with my novels since the very beginning. None of my books would exist without his help. Hell, he invented Julius! We've always been creative partners. Now, we've taken that process one step further and actually written the book together, and it is amazing.

Good collaborations are a special sort of alchemy. Done right, you can end up with something that's greater than either of you could have managed alone, and that's what I think we've got here. I've never been more excited about a project. This book is our love letter to the online games we've played obsessively for over a decade. We wanted to show the strength, ingenuity, drama, and occasional hilarity of the MMO culture without painting over its flaws. If you're a gamer, if you liked Devi, if you liked Julius, you are going to love this book.

Forever Fantasy Online is the first in a trilogy. The second book is already written and being edited right now, so you won't have to wait long for more (and trust me, you're going to want more!). For my audio fans, you're in luck! The audio book comes out on June 5th from Audible.com and is available for preorder as well!

*/dance*

Better still, for the first time ever, the book will be available on all platforms! That's right, no more Amazon exclusivity. You asked, and we're finally delivering. The links are still propagating, but by its launch date, FFO will be available on all the major ebook retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple iBookstore, Waterstones, and in public libraries via Overdrive!

We'll have the full list on rachelaaron.net as links become available, but you should be able to get the book pretty much anywhere, and that's always a good thing!

Can you tell I'm super excited about this project? Because I am SUPER EXCITED. Travis and I have been working on this book for over a year now, and I can not wait for you to read it! If you've liked my other novels, I really hope you'll give it a try. It's a bit different, but I feel in a good way. That will be up to you to decide, though. You are all the reason that I (and now Travis as well) write, and we both hope you love this new series as much as we do.

Thank you as always for reading, and we hope you enjoy Forever Fantasy Online!

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Great Seer of the Heartstrikers and President of the New Mexico Pigeon Fanciers Association

Dear Reader,

There is no way to write a blurb for this final book without spoiling all of the others. Suffice it to say, mysteries resolve, dragons war, pigeons abound, and Julius must risk himself in ways he never dreamed possible as Bob’s grand plan finally comes to fruition.

But the Great Seer of the Heartstrikers isn’t the only one whose schemes are nearing completion. The Nameless End is coming, and even the machinations of the world’s most brilliant dragon seer might not be enough to stop it. As everything comes crashing down, it’s up Julius to prove what he’s always known: that seers can be wrong, and Nice Dragons don’t always finish last.

And so we have come to the end. The fifth and final Heartstrikers novel, LAST DRAGON STANDING, comes out on March 1, 2018!

This is Bob's book through and through. All of his machinations are finally coming due, and as always, poor Julius is the one stuck in the middle. But our little Nice Dragon surprised me a lot in this book, and I really think you're going to enjoy it! There's dragon drama, seer drama, end-of-the-world drama, it's epic! I can't wait for you to read it!

I also hope you LOVE the cover! As subscribers to my mailing list, you guys are the very first people to see it, and I could not be more excited. I think Bob looks amazing, and his pigeon is quite lovely as well. Bob is quite delighted she finally got on a cover!

Thank you again to all of you for sticking with me all the way to the end. Julius couldn't have made it without you! I hope you love the end of his story, and thank you as always for being my readers.

Monday, October 2, 2017

The moment your bookshelf has been longing for has finally arrived! After much trial and error (and many messed up books) print editions of A DRAGON OF A DIFFERENT COLOR and 2K TO 10K are now available!

Yay!Both books are trade paper back size printed on good quality paper, and for my book collecting Heartstrikers fans, #4 should line up with all the others for that classy series-on-a-shelf effect. Oh yeah, we're stylish.I know this took much longer than expected. Thank you all so much for your patience and for being my fans. I hope you enjoy the print editions of A DRAGON OF A DIFFERENT COLOR and 2K TO 10K! Make sure to take the time and breathe in that new book smell!!I'd like to promise the next one will be on time, but the whole "making a physical object" bit has been the hardest part of self publishing for me so far. Damn, you, physics! I'm going to be looking into ways to make better books faster for the future, but in the meanwhile, I hope you enjoy these.Thanks again! Yours,Rachel

2k to 10k

If you like my writing posts, you'll love my book!

Coming Soon!

Out Now!

Kick-Ass Science Fiction

The Book That Started It All

Who are you again?

My name is Rachel Aaron/Rachel Bach, and I write the books you see over there on the left. I also play video games, watch anime, read manga, and read a TON of books. I love great sword fights, witty dialog, and charming rogues (except for the ones who stunlock me).